FINNERAN LANE

South Jersey : Harvest Time

Hallowe'en is almost upon us, but Autumn has barely begun to tiptoe in. It  seems later than usual  - some blame global climate change-and it is a bit tentative, but it sneaks in here and there.

A lot of South Jersey is still farmland: not "country acres held for city gentlepersons " - but actual working farm land.

Crops are being gathered and readied for market ...

This crew has been picking red peppers, and getting them ready for a trip to the city.

Some of this fresh-harvested produce will find its way to roadside  stands - like the very popular Rosie's  in Mullica Hill.

South Jersey has no shortage of roadside produce stands : many of which sell food the owners themselves have grown - plus enough jams, jellies, bread, rolls,pickles, locally bottled wines,real creamery butter, etc. to save the roadside shopper a trip into town.

I have to admit to coming home with a bag of local goodies...

Doing my "walk-arounds" in the Autumn is always rewarding !

 

A Visit to Rosie's Farm Market

Out and about today, looking for Harvest themes and Fall colors . Happened on Rosie's Farm Market  317 Swedesboro Rd. (Route 322) Mullica Hill, NJ 08062.

Discovered, when I went inside to ask permission to take pictures, the market is owned and operated by good friends of the family !

 

Quite a selection of Autumn flowers !

It wouldn't be October without some fine pumpkins !

Plants to go !

Mmmm....! Jersey Tomatos !!!

...And, here's our good friend Lisa !!

I resisted "buying out the store"...but it was tough !

All in all, a pleasant way to spend a morning .

 

 

 

South Jersey - Mid October

I've been getting out and about again : not as frisky as before - but out there ! (Found this display right up the street !)

I'll let the pictures do the talking... starting with this Tuckahoe Rd. dude ranch that had some goats for sale.

 

As you can see, there is only a little "color" in the trees - probably because it has been fairly warm ;but Autumn is definitely upon us !

An Alarming Morning

It's not unusual to see rabbits around our backyard - so,when one hopped into view yesterday morning, I was not surprised.

 
I called out a cheery "Good morning" ,but the rabbit just flicked her ears disdainfully and hopped over to the far edge of the swimming pool.

At first I had grave misgivings : was the pool about to be invaded ?

 
 

To my relief, instead of diving in, the rabbit simply vanished !! 

I went to the other side of the pool-and-after some diligent searching of the disappearance area, discovered a tiny burrow !

 

Closer examination disclosed a tiny white sign in front of the burrow.

It was VERY difficult to read: written in tiny Rabbit Cursive script; but I persisted----and this is what it said:

BUNNY  BIRTHING  CENTER

La Maze Classes , Rm. 203

Coaches and Midwives 24/7

Major Credit Cards Welcome.

 

(  Oh, boy ! Now I'm REALLY worried !!  )

 

 

 

 

Neighborhood Flowers

 

The lady across the street likes flowers , I think. ( I'm not sure where I got such an idea.... ) Click on images for close-ups.

 

 

 

 

 

Just a lucky guess, I suppose !

 

Even a stopped clock is right twice a day.

 

 

 

 

 

ps: She and her husband host a pretty good barbecue, too !

On the Banks of the Delaware

Today I followed the roads west until I reached the Delaware River . West Deptford Township had built a beautiful park at River Winds Point.

 

Philadelphia was right across the river...

 

...as was Philadelphia International Airport.

 

A Swedish/Norwegian ship was passing through. A lookup suggests it was loaded with new cars shipped from Europe.

 

 

Some flowers-and a gazebo - improved the view.

I sat for a while and enjoyed the view : another "face" of South Jersey : a place I've grown very fond of.

A Visit to SHADOW Equestrian

I went fishing for a little while at nearby Franklinville Lake : excitement was quite controllable - one little "Calico Bass" - which I released-a number of hungry turtles, which proved rather adept at bait-stealing - and a loud, downright rude "Outa the way ! " from a gaggle of Geese.

 

Feeling a little bit miffed at the attitude of the Geese (surely they were from Northern New Jersey !) , I packed up; but, instead of going straight home, decided to meander down Monroeville Road .

Along the way, I saw some horses grazing in a pasture, and slowed down-debating a photo. Were horses being boarded here ? I noticed most of them seemed "quite experienced", and wondered if they had been "rescued" . (That would be worth checking out !)

 

I decided to check it out,and, a short while later was chatting with a Mr. Drissel, who got me a business card and a flyer, and who invited me to walk around,look at the stable and generally help myself.

 
This is the outdoor equestrian track, and the next picture shows the combination stable and indoor equestrian track.

 

From the Drissels, I learned the "SHADOW" in Shadow Equestrian stands for : Special Horses And Disabled Overcome Weakness.

SHADOW Equestrian provides low cost therapeutic riding instruction for children with physical,mental, and learning disabilities: relying on donations, sponsors, and volunteers; noting: Recreational Therapeutic Riding provides relaxation and stimulation of unused muscles and joints; improves posture,balance, and muscular strength;increases attention span and stimulates speech;improves self-esteem; and offers these children the chance to bond with one of the gentle old horses used in the program.

I'm finally getting the chance to stop off and enjoy some of the beautiful people and places I spent so many years hurrying past . Sometimes the beauty is physical - other times spiritual. Once in a rare while-like today-it is both.

ps: To learn more , I suggest visiting the SHADOW website at:

http://www.shadowequestrian.org 

 

 

 

 

HORSE FEATHERS FARM

After a (brief) fishing excursion at nearby Scotland Run, I decided to stop feeding the lake's turtles my worm supply , and go for a drive - turning off this time to explore Pitman - Downer Road.

Out near Mount Royal Road, I came upon the Brown family's "Horse Feathers Farm" , where a nice-looking pair of white Percherons were grazing in a field near an attractive house; and, on impulse decided to drive in, introduce myself, and ask permission to take a few pictures.

The owner and his wife were extremely gracious : even showed me a "bluebird nest" that had been taken over by a barn swallow.

 

Even the horses were friendly, and wasted no time in ambling over to meet me.

 

 

The Browns had a very attractive flower bed outside their home.

 

 

I said goodbye - a bit reluctantly - and traced my way back home on the Gloucester County roads : with a treasure trove of warm memories to ease me through the inevitability of winter.

ps: The remaining worms got a new lease on life in some freshly dug soil : safe - for now - from hungry panfish and turtles.

South Jersey Solar Power

South Jersey tends to be pretty conservative -politically and socially - but solar power is catching on with one of the most conservative segments of the population : the farmers.

 
This impressive array powers a busy winery.

 

 This array is an important part of an apple orchard.

Driving through this part of the state, I've seen many similar installations - including one that powers a roadside diner in Atlantic County.

I've been fascinated with solar power since I was a kid: we had an outdoor shower behind a chicken coop ,that used summer sunlight to heat water. The shower was a godsend-after hours of "haying": what a delight to sluice the sweat and itchy hayseeds off our skins !

There are those who insist we should ignore alternative technologies -such as solar-because they don't offer the instant gratification of petroleum-based energy.(Some of these same people look on wars in the Middle East as "a good thing"; some are financially invested in petroleum; and some apparently just want to be in step with the movers and shakers.)

All I can say is: Some day the wells will run dry.Then what ???

 

 

Thank You For Your Support, Mr. Hurff !!

 

 

 

I had the pleasure of meeting Mr. John Hurff this weekend . Mr. Hurff is a working farmer -(you'll notice it when you shake hands)- and has succeeded his Dad-the late Myron Hurff as President of William Shober & Sons, Inc. (Orchards and Farm Market) 1125 Monroeville Rd., Monroeville, NJ 08343.  

I asked permission to take pictures, after seeing his "Thank You Veterans" display along the country roadside.

I learned from Mr. Hurff he hosts a special Veterans' Day celebration, in which any Veteran who shows up receives a "thank-you" gift of apples and cider.

Mr. Hurff thanked me for my (humble) service. I'd like to thank him for his consistent support.

 I've noticed a quiet patriotism here - due,in no small part to the large numbers of South Jersey residents who have volunteered to serve their country - and the substantial number of those who sacrificed all to do so.

 

 

 

 

 

 

SOUTH JERSEY JOURNAL - Scotland Run Park

 
 

Not far from where I live is a pleasant little recreation area called Scotland Run Park. For those not familiar with local parlance, a "run" is the same as a "creek". (This picture was taken from the spillway of Wilson Lake - (Top photo)-which seems to be the headwaters of the run.)

Here, just outside the Pinelands, runs often have the "tea" color you'll probably notice in the picture. Some call this "cedar water"; but I've read elsewhere the color is due to dissolved "Bog Iron". Just a few miles north of here, in Burlington County, bog iron was extracted and refined back in colonial days; and there was an important forge (since reconstructed) at Batsto.

 

As might be imagined, Wilson Lake is a popular "family fishing" destination - and ,since I don't need a license at my age , and since there is a nearby sporting goods store/bait shop (Sportsmans Outpost),I decided to do a little fishing- with one important caveat: Unless there is someone nearby who wants fish for the family table, I plan to do strictly "catch and release".

I'm more than happy to leave some for the next person ! 

South Jersey Journal - Woodstown Area

 
Woodstown, NJ is home to the well-known  Cowtown Rodeo . I snapped a couple of pictures , but there wasn't much to see : the Rodeo doesn't open until Memorial Day weekend.

The Woodstown area is also home to a number of very large, and very well - maintained farms ; set on the rolling hills that characterize this section of the NJ/Pennsylvania/Delaware borderlands.

 

This was one of the farms that caught my eye. I took a couple of shots from the roadway - but wanted to get closer; so I drove up the long paved driveway : planning to ask permission for some more detailed photos.

Didn't see anyone around, so I got out of the car . As I did so, I noticed a "Beware of Dog" sign on one of the sheds facing the driveway. Sure enough, a deep chested bark sounded,and a dog that looked somewhat like this German Shorthaired Pointer came forward to challenge me.

 

Fortunately, I speak "Dog" pretty well. I whistled to him, chatted a bit , and petted him when he came forward. He liked that, and trotted off to find his "fetch toy", which he offered me.

I tossed it for him once or twice-to his obvious joy.

I rang the farm house doorbell, but got no answer; so, I said farewell to my new friend, and left.

Just another "non-adventure" in South Jersey.